Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, concurrent spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), claimed once again without basis that Vice President Leni Robredo “colluded” with the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and select party-list groups in the May elections.
STATEMENT
In a Facebook post, Badoy expressed dismay that Kabataan party list “managed an increase to half a million votes” while other groups she had red-tagged in her so-called “CPP-NPA-NDF partylist groups,” had “drastic reduction” in the votes they got in the May 9 elections compared to previous polls.
She then said:
“We attribute these votes to the treachery of Leni Robredo who colluded with the CPP NPA NDF…”
Source: NTF-ELCAC Official Facebook Page, READ | Statement on CPP-NPA-NDF Partylists Groups (archive), May 22, 2022
She went further to blame Robredo, who did not endorse Kabataan party list, saying:
“For the record, if Leni Robredo had not conspired with this terrorist organization, there would have been one less seat in Congress for this terrorist organization…”
FACT
Lawyer Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesman, belied Badoy’s accusations, saying these are “patently and completely false,” and have been “denied time and again.”
Gutierrez emphasized that no proof has ever been presented to substantiate the “wild allegations.”
In a text message to VERA Files Fact Check, incoming Kabataan party list Rep. Raoul Manuel said Badoy’s statement is part of NTF-ELCAC’s “disinformation efforts” to defeat its representation of the youth in Congress.
Badoy, who is an undersecretary in the Presidential Communications Operations Office, said in the same post that the task force has filed disqualification cases against Kabataan, Gabriela Women’s Party list, and Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and is set to file more.
In a May 25 statement, Gabriela Women’s Party list Rep. Arlene Brosas called for the dismissal of the disqualification case filed by NTF-ELCAC, saying that it “is hinged on red-tagging and spurious claims.”
Badoy is facing more than eight complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman, including those for alleged violations of Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for public officials and employees.
The complaints alleged that she had violated the law for red-tagging human rights groups, health care workers, activists, think tank Ibon Foundation, and personalities like Maria Ressa, chief executive officer of online news Rappler; Rep. Sarah Elago, outgoing Kabataan party list representative; and Ana Patricia Non, organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry.
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Sources
NTF-ELCAC Official Facebook Page, READ | Statement on CPP-NPA-NDF Partylists Groups (archive), May 22, 2022
Personal Communication (Viber) with Raoul Manuel, May 26, 2022
Gabriela Women’s Partylist Official Twitter Account, “This old, fabricated…”, May 25, 2022
Office of the Ombudsman, Republic Act No. 6713, Accessed May 27, 2022
On Badoy’s cases at the Ombudsman
- Human rights groups
- CNN Philippines, More groups file complaint vs Badoy over red-tagging of Robredo, supporters, March 30, 2022
- Inquirer.net, Badoy hit with another complaint at Ombudsman for red-tagging Robredo, March 30, 2022
- Philstar.com, Badoy faces second admin complaint in a week over red-tagging of VP Robredo, March 30, 2022
- Health care workers
- Inquirer.net,Health workers file raps vs Badoy on Ombudsman for alleged red-tagging, April 7, 2022
- Philstar.com, Lorraine Badoy sued again at Ombudsman for tagging health workers as CPP-NPA, April 7, 2022
- GMA News Online, Health workers group files raps vs. Badoy for alleged red-tagging, April 7, 2022
- Activists
- Philstar.com, NTF-ELCAC’s Lorraine Badoy sued at Ombudsman over red-tagging spree, March 23, 2022
- CNN Philippines, Badoy faces 3 new Ombudsman complaints for red-tagging Robredo, March 23, 2022
- Business World Online, Anti-communist task force’s Badoy faces complaints for red-tagging, spreading ‘fake news’, March 23, 2022
- Ibon Foundation
- Ibon Foundation, IBON files historic first red-tagging complaint with Ombudsman against Parlade, Badoy, Esperon, Feb. 9, 2020
- Inquirer.net, Ibon sues Parlade, Badoy, Esperon for red-tagging activists, Feb. 10, 2020
- Philstar.com, IBON asks ombudsman to ‘punish’ Duterte admin officials for red-tagging, Feb. 10, 2020
- Maria Ressa
- Philstar.com, Lorraine Badoy sued — again — at Ombudsman for labeling Maria Ressa as state enemy, April 19, 2022
- CNN Philippines, Maria Ressa files complaint vs. Badoy over red-tagging, name-calling, April 19, 2022
- Inquirer.net, Maria Ressa sues Badoy over ‘malicious, defamatory’ name-calling, April 19, 2022
- Sarah Elago
- Inquirer.net, Elago files raps vs NTF-ELCAC top brass at Ombudsman, Dec. 7, 2020
- Rappler, Elago files complaint vs 6 NTF-ELCAC officials over red-tagging, Dec. 7, 2020
- Philstar.com, More raps filed vs NTF-ELCAC execs over red-tagging, fake news, Dec. 7, 2020
- Ana Patricia Non
- Rappler, Badoy faces another complaint for red-tagging community pantries, April 13, 2022
- Inquirer.net, Mom of food pantry advocate sues Lorraine Badoy, April 14, 2022
- Philstar.com, Badoy sued for red-tagging community pantries, April 14, 2022
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
